A Big Breakfast May Help Weight Loss

Eating a big breakfast can help you lose weight, according to researchers who studied 93 overweight and obese women with metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and insulin resistance, that’s linked to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Participants were put on a 1,400-calorie diet and randomly assigned to one of two groups: Those in the first ate the majority of their calories at breakfast while the others ate most of their calories at dinner. Though both groups consumed the same amount of nutrients such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate, those who ate most of their food at breakfast lost more than double the weight (19 versus 7.9 pounds) and twice as many inches from their waistlines. At the end of the 12-week study, the breakfast group also had greater decreases in glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels as well as lower levels of a hunger-regulating hormone. This suggests they were more satisfied on the diet than big-dinner eaters. The researchers say the body’s metabolism may work differently depending on the time of day.Source:Obesity, published online July 2, 2013